Not Always What They Seem
by SilverRayan
Summary: People are not always what they seem to be. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to make others see the truth. . Sequel to Their Loss, but can stand alone. Rated M for a reason
1. Chapter 1

Sideswipe stormed down the hall angrily. He had always known that his relationship with Ironhide wasn't going to last, but he didn't think the end was going to be so...ugly. He didn't even know why he was so worked up about it. Pit, he'd been on his way to break up with the mech in the first place. It stung that the older bot had beaten him to it, but there was no reason for him to be this upset about it.

'Unless you don't count the fact that he spent the entire conversation patronizing me like some new-sparked youngling.' That was probably it. And, tied in with the sting that came along with being dumped, the whole fight had left a poor taste on his glossa. 'Arrogant fragger.' He felt when Sunstreaker came up behind him, not bothering to turn to see if it was his twin. The reassurance and comfort the younger mech sent across their bond said well enough that it was him. The golden twin kept a respectful distance from his brother, knowing that Sideswipe needed his space right now. Sideswipe sent his gratitude back to his brother, but continued to dwell on the past two breems.

Normally, Sideswipe was the mellower twin, the one able to roll with the punches, but Ironhide had really set him off. He would probably find himself in the brig if Prowl or Prime got word of his response to the patronizing break up, but he didn't care.

'Aft wipe deserved it, for what he said.' He debated going to the training grounds, but with the state he was in it was likely that he would put another mech in the medbay. He could always spar with Sunny, but he wanted to hurt his little brother even less than he wanted to hurt a random mech who didn't deserve it. Deciding he needed to cool off he headed to the entrance of the Ark. Sunny followed. The twins transformed as soon as they were clear from the Ark, tearing down the road at breakneck speed. Sunstreaker took care to stay behind Sideswipe, letting the red mech set the path. Sideswipe headed out into the desert, towards a hidden road the twins had found one night on patrol. Once it was clear that Sideswipe intended to stay on the compressed sand, Sunny moved up next to his brother.

::Want to talk about it?:: He asked over their bond.

::No.:: Sunny fell silent, but sent a burst of _understanding/determination/temporary acceptance_ that told Sideswipe he wasn't going to let go of the issue. That was fine. He just needed some time to work things out for himself.

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Sunstreaker knew perfectly well what was wrong with his brother. He had heard most of the argument after all. Sideswipe hadn't known it, but he'd left the bond wide open, channelling everything he felt into his twin. Immediately concerned, the golden bot had set out to intercept his brother before he could do any damage. Most mechs were unaware, and the Twins did nothing to change their opinions, but it was actually Sideswipe who was the more dangerous of the two of them. Sunstreaker had the attitude, and had taken to the gladiatorial lifestyle better than his older brother, but buried underneath all the bravado, explosive temper and vanity was the daydreamer who had longed to change Cybertron through his art.

Yes, Sunstreaker was a vain mech, and yes, he would beat the slag out of anyone who so much as looked at him wrong, but he wasn't always like that. He was the gentler of the two, the one that Sideswipe was constantly looking out for; for fear that someone would take advantage of his brother. When they were sold to the gladiator rings, Sunstreaker had learned quickly that it was his life or his enemy's, and if he didn't perform well, they would take it out on his brother. They would do the same to Sideswipe, but the merchant had been fighting most of his life, first to get them off the streets, to keep Sunstreaker safe from the scum who would use a pretty bot like him, and then to keep their place in society. It had taken one session of watching Sideswipe go under the whip to turn his outlook on life around. He had walked out of there with some mental scars, but his brother was alive. He fought like a demon until freed by the Autobots to keep from ever having to witness that again. Even after they were enlisted it was a facade he couldn't let go of. Sideswipe buried his dark side under his cheerful smile, but it was there, brewing. Thankfully it didn't seem like the fight with Ironhide was going to trigger an explosion.

The two drove silently through the desert, only the sounds of their high powered engines cut through the tranquility. Sideswipe calmed down, and the tension faded, leaving the two to race playfully, imitating stunts they had seen in battle or on TV, and trying to outdo each other. For a rare moment, they were free of worries, of duties, and of guilt, and both did their best to take advantage of that moment.

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Red Alert was wondering how things had gone downhill so quickly, as he dodged another barrage of shots. Skyfire had managed to talk him into leaving the Ark for some time to themselves. The Decepticons had been quiet since their last failed takeover, and the miscreants of the Ark were all being surprisingly well behaved. And with Prowl there to watch over the Ark, Red Alert ha felt safe enough to leave his cameras behind for some well deserved bonding time with his mate. Skyfire had packed for what the human's called a picnic, and they had headed out into the desert.

It had been wonderful, their time alone. They had left just before dawn, and Skyfire had flown them a good distance out, to where there would be no interruptions. They had watched the sun rise, lounging together on the warming sand. Cuddled together they simply chatted, catching up on things they had missed in the other's lives. They chaos of the last attack hadn't left them any time together. They broke out the energon mid-morning, taking turns feeding each other and exchanging soft kisses between drinks. Shortly after that it went to the Pit.

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Starscream had been chased out of the base after his last attempt to overthrow Megatron. Surprisingly, Soundwave had managed to point out that beating the slag Starscream would be detrimental to the faction's morale after such an embarrassing loss, and had gotten sent out on patrol until Megatron calmed down enough to deal with him. Starscream didn't understand t, but his wingmates kept giving him those irritatingly smug know-it-all looks. It was beginning to drive him up the wall.

The Air Commander wasn't stupid. He knew that Soundwave was interested, despite his monotonous facade, but then again, most mechs were. You didn't have a face and body like his without getting attention, whether it was wanted or not. The thing was Starscream thought he might be interested in the cassette deck as well. They had despised each other at first, but after the crash on Earth their positions as second and third-in-command had forced them to work closely, especially when Megatron made his periodic trips back to Cybertron.

Over time, Starscream had begun to notice things about the sapphire mech that he had overlooked before. Soundwave had been a communication scientist before the war. Despite his current profession, Starscream was still deeply interested in all things science, and the mechs began to bond over a shared interest, although Starscream's field was engineering and xenozoology, while Soundwave was solely a communication technician and developer. Soundwave also had a wickedly dry sense of humor, which had brought Starscream into stitches more than once. And despite Starscream's treachery and his possible-mate's loyalty, they found that they balanced each other out well. Soundwave was calm to Starscream's impulsiveness, and the anchor to Starscream's desire to fly. They were both exceedingly protective of those they considered family, and despite all appearances, would never leave someone they cared about behind, orders be damned. Soundwave was indeed an ideal mate. But then again, he had thought that about Skyfire.

That still stung. He had put everything on the line for his former lover, promised Megatron that the big shuttle would be a great addition to their ranks, had been overjoyed that they could be together again...and then his former lover had betrayed him. In a rage, Starscream had shot his ex-friend, destroying any chances that they had to fix things. And then the traitor had hooked up with that paranoid security director, who, admittedly, had been fun to screw around with when he had been glitching, as a form of revenge against his ex-lover. Petty yes, but that betrayal had _hurt_, Pit take it. Soundwave reminded him so much of the giant mech that he was hesitant to take a chance again, especially with a mech who was so damn loyal to the mech who had ruined his life. The more he dwelled on the past, and how the future could mimic it, the more enraged he became. It got to the point that he wasn't sure whether or not he was angry at Skyfire for betraying him or at Soundwave for having the potential to turn out like Skyfire. He was aware that he was angry at himself for being so timid and indecisive, but it was so much easier to take his anger out on something else. And speak of the devil, the two Autobots lounging unaware so many miles below him would do quite nicely.

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Skyfire did his best to shield his mate from the attack. He was much larger, and able to completely eclipse the smaller mech with his bulk. Unfortunately, that meant he was taking the brunt of the attack. He had much thicker plating, meant for space travel, so the shots from the null ray only glanced off his armor, burning slightly but leaving no real damage. They were, however weakening the structural integrity of his plating, and it wouldn't be long before those shots began to cause real damage.

Starscream cackled high above them, swing around for another pass. There was a desperate note to the high pitched noise, one that the scientist could not take the time to try and identify at the moment. He was too busy trying to figure out how to get out of this situation in one piece. It didn't seem like Starscream had plans to go anywhere, so waiting him out was not an option. Nor could they simply find a place to hide, as the desert offered no protection from the threat above.

Skyfire listened as Red Alert tried to raise someone on the comm. They were pretty far out, with minimal weapons, and nothing that could reach the Seeker high above them. He heard Red get in contact with Blaster, but the tape deck said that it would take a minimum of two hours to reach them from base, and that was if they sent a racer. He promised to try and reach some of the mechs on patrol, but it would take a while. Could they hold on that long? Red grimly replied that they would have to.

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::Sunny, do you see that?:: Sideswipe was looking at the horizon. He could see what he thought were flashes of laser fire far ahead of them, but he wasn't sure.

::Yeah. Looks like a firefight. But who would be on patrol this far out?::

::I dunno bro. We should check it out though. I'll call it in.: Sideswipe didn't get the chance to though. At that moment a call from base came in, startling the twins.

"Base to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, do you read me? Come in."

"We're here Blaster, what do you need?"

"Red Alert just called in a fight out in the desert. Apparently he and Skyfire are pinned down by Starscream. Neither of them have adequate weapons. What is your position?"

"We're about ten miles away from that fight, actually. We can see the laser fire from here. We're enroute to intercept."

"What's your ETA?"

"Approximately two minutes at top speed."

"Good. Back up is on the way, but its hours out. I'll inform Red and Skyfire that you're on your way. Blaster out."

The twins accelerated, excitement flowing through them. They had been cooped up for too long and were eager to stretch their legs, so to speak, and get back into the action. And, of course, they were worried for their friends. Off all the mechs in the base, Red and Skyfire were the only ones who looked beyond the masks to see the young mechs underneath. Although they enjoyed pranking Red Alert as much as the next bot, they respected him and looked up to him. They would much rather be sent to the Security Director for punishment then have to deal with Prime and Prowl.

The minutes passed by quickly, and very soon they were able to see the battle, if it could be called that. Starscream was flying low, concentrating solely on the mechs he had pinned, and dd not appear to see them approach. Skyfire was looking a little unstable, but still standing firmly in front of his mate. Red Alert was attempting to recharge his blaster, which had run out of energy early on, giving them to chance to fire back. For once, the twins did not run wildly into battle, but took advantage of their prey's lack of attention. Transforming, Sideswipe launched himself into the air with his jet pack, landing on top of the unsuspecting seeker. Sunstreaker moved to give the two pinned bots cover. Unsubspacing his gun, he quickly moved to Skyfire's side, taking aim at the Decepticon but not firing. Sideswipe was cheering as the jet did a barrel roll to try and knock him off. Satisfied that his brother was handling the jet, he turned to the two beside him.

"Are you two all right?" Red Alert moved from behind his lover, dusting himself off but keeping an optic on the sky.

"Yes, thank you Sunstreaker." Skyfire said nothing. He wasn't badly damaged, but a few of the shots had connected with his wings. He was effectively grounded until Ratchet could look at them. When he noticed the two waiting for a response, he said as much, but also told them not to worry.

Meanwhile, Sideswipe was beginning to be slightly concerned. Starscream had grown more erratic the longer he held on. The jet began to resort to desperate tactics to through him off, and he had begun to lose his grip. He wasn't too high up, but still a fall from this height would hurt. Ah well, he wouldn't die, he just didn't want Ratchet torqued off at him again so soon after his last tangle with a jet. Well there was nothing to be done about it now. As soon as Sunny got the others equipped, or far enough away from the battle, which ever worked, he could bail off and wait for the back up to arrive. Too bad the seeker had other ideas.

"Comfortable back there, Autobrat?" the screechy voice came over his comm. link. Surprised, it was all he could do to tighten his grip, instead of loosening it.

"Of course," he replied cockily. "It's the latest in entertainment ya know. Plus, seekers a pretty comfy, I could stay up here all day." Not strictly true, as his last encounter with Thundercracker proved, but he wasn't worried. The Screeching One was alone, with no one to shoot him off, while Sideswipe had his brother and friends down below to help him out.

Oh really. Well, if you're so comfortable, then you won't mind if I do… this!" Starscream pointed his nosecone in the air, activated his thrusters and shot straight up. Sideswipe was lucky to grab a better hold before the jet took off. Higher and higher he climbed, up to where there was little oxygen and the air froze. Tiny crystals began to form on the seeker's wings, but still he kept climbing. The pressure increased, and that, combined with the frozen water on the jet's wings finally broke Sideswipe's grasp. For one terrifying moment, he felt like he was hovering in space. Then he fell.

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Sunstreaker watched in horror as his brother disappeared above the cloud line. He couldn't see him, and the older mech was doing his best to shield his mind, but the golden twin could still feel his fear. He didn't hear Red Alert calling him, or see Skyfire doing his damnedest to get off the ground and go after the wayward Autobot. He didn't register that the giant mech's wings couldn't take the strain, nor did he see him collapse to the ground. All he could focus on was the sharp spike in his brother's terror, and the feeling that this was going to hurt him very badly.

Red Alert was torn between moving to his injured mate's side, and staying with Sunstreaker. Logically, he knew there was nothing he could do for either of them, and it was driving him crazy. Whatever was going on up there, it had to be bad. Skyfire was looking grim, and Sunstreaker, though he did not realize it, had an expression of utter horror on his face. The twins had seen each other injured before, almost to the point of deactivation, and he had never, ever seen one of them look as scared as the younger twin did now. He grasped Sunny's arms, shaking him, trying to snap him out of the trace he seemed to be in, but the other Lamborghini ignored him.

"Sunny! Sunny, snap out of it. You can't help him by staring at the sky! Now tell me what's going on!" Sunstreaker didn't answer. Instead, he jerked out of the security director's grasp and ran forward, hoping to catch his falling brother. Starscream had taken him a fair distance away, and he would have to move quickly to get there in time. He didn't make it very far though. Red tackled him, pinning him to the ground. He fought blindly, desperate to reach his twin before he hit the ground, but was unable to twist away.

"Stop it! Let me go! I can save him! Get off me!"

"Sunstreaker, stop it! He's moving too quickly and from too great an altitude for you to catch him! If you get underneath him, the force will kill you!" Peripherally, the red mech saw his mate move to intercept the falling bot, but he wouldn't get there in time. He was too far away, and without his wings there wasn't much he could do anyway.

::Sunny, little bro, stop it. Red's right. I don't want you to get hurt. Please stay there.:: Even though terror pulsed through the bond, Sideswipe's words were firm.

::Sides…no… don't ask me to. Please.::

::Sorry Sunshine, it's for the best.:: The red twin tried to close the bond, to prevent Sunny from feeling the backlash, but the younger mech stubbornly held it open. He wasn't going to let his brother suffer this alone. Call him vain, egotistical, sociopathic…but when it came to his twin, he was none of those. He would not let his brother go through this alone, even if it killed him.

All three bots watched in horror as the red frame struck the ground, spraying sand in every direction. Sunstreaker fought like a demon to get to his brother, but it was too late. Pain lanced through his body, and he screamed before laying still. His optics glazed over and he stared at the crater that shielded his brother from sight. He watched unseeingly as Skyfire clambered over the lip, and as Red Alert called for emergency medical aid. He saw the Aerialbots approach, and landing in the crater, presumably to load his brother into Silverbolt's cargo hold. He could hear Ratchet yelling curses, and feel Red Alert's gentle hands guiding him to sit up, to move to where the Aerialbots were situated, getting him situated alongside his brother. None of it felt real though. The only thing he could focus on was the quiet on the other end of the bond. Never before had he felt this. Even with their most grievous injuries, there was always a presence on the other end, whether it was pain, a thread of consciousness, something. Now there was nothing. Sunstreaker didn't know what that meant. For the first time in his life, he truly feared losing his brother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** This chapter contains a threesome and is sticky! If you do not like, turn back now. Flames will be used to roast flamers. Now, ono the fic!

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Sunstreaker sat curled up in a corner of the medbay, watching as Ratchet frantically tried to save his brother. They had arrived to find the medbay prepped, with Swoop, First Aid, Wheeljack _and_ Perceptor all on standby. With the entire medical team present, it didn't take long for word to get out that someone was seriously injured. It took even less time for the rest of the Ark to find out that the injured mech was Sideswipe. Most of the crew at some point or another had found their way to the medbay doors, wanting to know the red twin's condition. They weren't allowed in, only Sunstreaker and Skyfire – who was having his wings looked after by Perceptor – were allowed into the front bay. They were allowed no further though. Even Sunstreaker was forced out of the surgery bay, as he would only get in the way of the medics.

Red Alert stood outside the doors, informing the crew of Sideswipe's condition as it changed. It hadn't done so much in the past few joors, but Sideswipe was still alive, which gave them hope. He had held on for this long, so obviously he was in no hurry to join the Well of Allsparks. Besides, Ratchet was the best medic of their time, and everyone knew he had a special fondness for the twins; there was no way he would let Sideswipe go without doing everything in his power to stop it. Most of the mechs took comfort in that; Sunstreaker did not. He still could not feel his brother. Now and then he could hear Ratchet order one of the other medics to clamp this or hand him that, but the young mech did his best not to listen. He dialed his audios down as low as they could go; only turning them back on if someone came out of the trauma room. Other than that, he watched blankly, optics not leaving the small part of his brother that wasn't hidden behind the screen.

He settled further into his corner, preparing for the long night ahead of him. Signals began to flash behind his optics, warning of low energy levels. He needed to both refuel and recharge, but he would do neither until he knew his brother was going to be ok. He overrode the warnings, only to have them restart a few breems later, this time telling of imminent stasis lock if the proper measures were not taken. Again he ignored them, fighting his body's inclination to shut down to save energy. His big brother was in critical condition; he would ­_not_ go into stasis until that had changed. Optics flickered in a desperate attempt to remain alert. For a moment he managed to do so, but even his will was not enough to supersede his body's basic needs, and he lost the fight against stasis lock. But as he began to shut down he felt a faint flicker in his spark, reassuring him that everything was going to be fine. He was too out of it to understand where that flicker came from, but he took comfort in it just the same and allowed himself to fall unconscious.

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Red Alert finally convinced the last of the mechs lingering in the hallway to leave. Most had duties to attend to, and the Ark couldn't afford to shut down because one mech was injured. He had promised to make a ship wide announcement when Sideswipe's condition was confirmed, which appeased most of the crew. The crowd dispersed, and Red was finally able to get into the medbay to check on the condition of his bondmate. Skyfire had kept quiet while the crew was being dealt with, but Red knew he was fine. He would feel much better, however, when he was able to confirm it with his own optics.

Perceptor said nothing as he watched the Lamborghini join Skyfire, and instead slipped away to see if there was anything he could do to help Ratchet. Neither mechs paid much attention, only pausing to thank the microscope as he left.

"Are you ok?" Skyfire smiled at the worry in his lover's tone.

"I'm fine. The damage was more extensive than I thought, but Perceptor was able to fix it. I'm not allowed to fly for the next cycle while the welds stabilize, but I'm allowed to leave the medbay and return to light duty." Red's smile was small, but filled with relief.

"And the twins?"

"From what I've been able to hear, they've stabilized Sideswipe, and are working on repairing his systems now. He may relapse though, so he's not out of danger yet. Sunstreaker's planted himself in that corner over there," he gestured to the corner diagonally across from them, "but he hasn't said anything. He just watches the surgery bay."

"Hmm. That's not like him. Normally he'd be making a fuss, insisting on being as close to Sideswipe as possible. Come on. I want to check on him." Skyfire stood, taking his mate's hand as they crossed the room. He too was worried. Neither twin did well with separation, especially not while the other was injured. Sunstreaker had been too quiet.

"Sunstreaker? Are you alright?" Red winced. Of course the mech wasn't alright, but he had to ask anyway. There was no response. "Sunstreaker?" Skyfire frowned as his mate's attempts to get the other Lambo to react to them failed. The shuttle decided a more direct approach was needed. He gently pushed his mate out of Sunstreaker's reach. If Sunny reacted badly to this he didn't want the smaller mech to get hurt. Reaching out, he placed a giant hand on the golden bot's shoulder, shaking lightly. Normally any form of unwanted contact would have Sunny lashing out faster than most could see. This time his head lolled back, revealing blackened optics. The unconscious mech began to slide off his seat, but Skyfire reacted quickly and caught him before he could hit the ground. He scooped the younger bot into his arms, pressing him against his chassis. Sunny was so cold. He revved his engine, trying to generate heat to warm the younger twin, but at the same time knew it would do no good.

"Red, he's in stasis. Almost all of his systems have shut down. His plating is freezing to the touch, and I can barely hear his energon pump working. Go get Perceptor." Red Alert didn't bother to reply; he merely turned and ran to the surgery bay. Stasis lock could be serious if the bot remained offline for too long. Skyfire had said Sunny's plating was cold, meaning he had been that way long enough to lose almost all of his body heat. It was indicative of early stage two lock. Stage three was usually permanent stasis. They needed to wake him up. Fast.

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Ratchet cursed as another capillary burst, leaking fluids into the cavity of Sideswipe's chest. It wasn't life threatening – they had finally gotten him out of the danger zone - but it was annoying. Leave it to the fragger to go and do something as stupid as trying to Jet Judo Starscream without his brother there to act as backup. Most of the damage now was easy to fix. The initial shock of hitting the ground from such a high altitude had jarred most of his internals out of place. Essentially, he had dislocated over eighty five percent of his internal structures, and had major hemorrhaging in the chassis and lower extremities. Once they had gotten the leakage under control and his most critical dislocations back in place the left over damage was minor enough that the self repair system could handle it. Or would be able to, if the impact hadn't forced a surge of coolant against the vessels, weakening them. Sideswipe would have to stay overnight for observation, but once the vessels reinforced themselves he would be in the clear.

Ratchet allowed his expression to soften slightly as he looked at the prone form on the medical berth. He saw the twins as his own creations. He remembered when they came into the army (illegally, he later found out…the little glitches had lied about their ages and had only come of age a few short decades ago). They had been angry, vicious little things. The gladiator pits were harsh, and from what he was able to gather they had been there since they were young adolescents. They had never known discipline other than the harsh beatings from their keeper, had never really had the chance to grow up. The first time Ratchet had punished the twins he was that they were really lost young mechs who had no real concept of the difference between right and wrong. He had taken them in, taught them how life on the outside was. He saw Sunny's real face, not the violent one he put up to defend himself. He knew that Sideswipe was far more complex than the prankster façade he wore. He had never had creations, but he considered the twins to be his. It was his greatest fear that one day they would take a reckless stunt too far and he wouldn't be able to save them. Twins _could_ survive without each other, but they rarely ever wanted to. The survivor would usually waste away over groons, until his spark finally gave out. The medic knew his twins would be the same. To lose one would be to lose them both.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned back to fixing the capillaries as best he could. First Aid and Wheeljack stayed to help him, but he sent Swoop and Perceptor into the main section of the medbay to continue with inventory and to update the waiting mechs on Sideswipe's condition. The pair turned to do just that but before they could exit Red Alert appeared in the doorway.

"Ratchet, Perceptor, Sunstreaker has fallen into level two stasis. Skyfire's trying to warm him up, but we need help." Although the SD did his best to remain calm, everyone could hear the note of panic in his voice.

"Frag it! First Aid, Swoop, Perceptor! Finish with Sideswipe. He'll be fine once you flush the fluid out of his cavities and close him up. Wheeljack, with me!" He strode out of the surgery bay, headed towards the golden terror, muttering under his breath. "Slagging little demon. Don't you dare die on me!"

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Blue optics powered up slowly, vaguely registering the obscenely bright orange ceiling above them. That was strange. He could have sworn that he had been facing the surgery bay just a moment ago. He powered up his optics some more, but the bright light brought a massive processor ache with it, and he quickly shut them off. The mech tried to raise a hand to his helm, but something in his arm prevented the movement. Cautiously opening his optics again he saw that he was attached to an energon drip and various monitors that he did not recognize. The thermal blanket wrapped around his body also restricted his movement. Annoyed, he began to struggle, trying to unwind himself from the tangle of blankets.

"So." The voice that crashed over him spelled him impending doom. Sunstreaker shivered. It was _never_ a good thing when his creator figure used that tone of voice. "Would you care to explain to me how you let your energon reserves drop to critical? And while you're at it, maybe you can explain why you haven't recharged in the past twenty joors. While I'm on the subject I would like to know jut _why_ you didn't _say_ anything about entering _stasis_ lock!? Primus damn it Sunstreaker, if Red Alert and Skyfire hadn't check on you, you could have _died."_ Sunstreaker was suddenly very aware of the other optics in the room. Red Alert and Skyfire watched quietly from by Sideswipe's berth, his twin lying unconscious, attached to various machines all reading as stable. He relaxed minutely, but kept silent. It was better to let Ratchet rant when he got into one of these moods. Unfortunately, the CMO seemed to be waiting for an answer. Ratchet sighed when it was obvious that his youngest adopted creation wasn't going to answer him.

"You are ill. You are going to go drink four cubes of energon, slowly, and then you are going to go to your room and recharge until the morning cycle. I will see if I can't find someone to stay with you to keep an eye out for you tonight. I know perfectly well that if I let you stay here you'll sit by Sides the whole night and won't get any rest."

"What? No! I'm fine! I don't need to leave, besides, I'm not tired!"

"Sunstreaker, you put yourself in stasis lock because you neglected to eat or rest. Sideswipe is going to be fine and isn't going to wake up for at least twelve local hours, so you don't need to be here right now. Go take care of yourself; I don't want to see you back here until tomorrow morning, understand?" A stubborn glint shone in the yellow bot's optics, and he opened his mouth to argue, but Red Alert cut in.

"We'll take care of him Ratchet. He can stay with us tonight."

"Thanks Red. You can bring him back around nine am tomorrow morning. I'll wake Sideswipe up shortly thereafter." Ratchet pulled the drip out of Sunstreaker's wrist and unhooked the monitors.

"Will do." Furious, Sunstreaker turned on the bondmates.

"You cannot make me leave here. You would not dare." He was so angry he was shaking. "I want to stay with my brother."

"Sunny," Skyfire's voice was soft, "Sideswipe is only going to be angry with you if you hurt yourself because you did not take care of yourself while he was injured." Sunstreaker crossed his arms, jaw set, challenging them to try and move him. Skyfire sighed. "Sunstreaker, I am much bigger than you, and though you don't want to admit it, I am much stronger. You have two options: you can walk out of here on your own or I can carry you." Sunstreaker stared at the pair in horror. He could see that they were not kidding. He had no choice. Stiffly, he moved passed them, headed towards the door. Ratchet shot a grateful look to Red and Skyfire.

"Thank you both. I'll see you in the morning." Red nodded curtly, turning sharply on his heel and followed Sunstreaker in to the corridor, with Skyfire walking more sedately behind them.

::Sky, can you go get the energon? I'll take Sunny back to our room. I don't think he's in the mood to deal with people right now. Oh, and tell the crew about Sideswipe will you?::

::Of course.::

::Thanks love. See you in a few.:: Red took the other lambo's arm, gently guiding him towards the personal quarters. The younger twin stiffened, but did not pull away. All of the fight seemed to have drained from him now that he was not near his brother. He made no protest as he was led into the room and settled on the berth. When Skyfire returned he drank the offered cubes almost mechanically, optics scanning over the walls. He had never been inside the bonded pair's room before. There wasn't much, just a few pictures of the couple on the walls, a desk and a night table with a reading lamp and some literature data pads, but other than that the room was bare. Somehow though, it still managed to feel cozy and warm.

It didn't take long for his systems to begin to shut down; the comfort of the room and the fact that he had a full tank for the first time in… he couldn't remember actually, what with all of the recent Decepticon activity and then the attack in the desert, helped lull his exhausted systems into shutdown. The familiar presence once again beating in his spark also helped him relax, and with kliks of curling up on the berth he was asleep.

Red Alert joined his mate on the chair, allowing those strong arms to wrap around him tightly. For a while they watched the recharging mech in silence. In sleep, Sunstreaker had a much more innocent air about him. He didn't look like a child, but it almost seemed as though the worries and stress of the war rolled right off him, making him lose the hardness that gave him the appearance of a much older veteran.

The Security Director let his optics linger for what was longer than appropriate. The twins were beautiful mechs, but Skyfire and Red, who occasionally took others into their berth to spice things up, had never seriously considered propositioning the twins. They were both so young, and Red knew that they looked up to him and his mate. They didn't want to break that trust in case things didn't work out. That didn't mean that they weren't tempted. It took all of his control not to reach out and touch that beautiful form. Besides, Sunny had just undergone a traumatic experience; waking up to his friends molesting him would likely scar the younger mech for life, and definitely break the aforementioned trust. He could tell that Sky was thinking the same thing; the thoughts and feelings spilling over the bond told him that much.

::I think,:: his mate's mental voice said, ::that it would be best to either recharge on the chair or the floor tonight.:: the red and white lambo nuzzled his mate's neck.

::Agreed. I'm comfortable here if you are.:: He could feel Skyfire smile against the back of his helm.

::The chair it is then. Get some rest love. I'll keep an optic on Sunny.::

::But you're recovering. You need it more than I do. I can get Ratchet to explain that to you if you won't listen to me.:: He was met with the shuttle's silent laughter, the larger body vibrating slightly as he chuckled.

::Primus forbid I incur the wrath of the medic. Fine, you win. Wake me when you get tired and I'll take over.:: The white bot gently placed a kiss on the back of his mate's helm, before initiating his recharge cycle.

------------

He had only been in recharge for a handful of cycles before panicked voiced brought him back online. Skyfire opened his optics, only to be greeted with the sight of his bondmate trying to either pin the struggling Lamborghini down or wake him up – he wasn't sure which – while the young mech thrashed and screamed in the grips of a night terror. Considering what had happened earlier in the day, it wasn't hard to guess what it was about.

"Sunny! Sunny calm down! It's not real!" Red was desperately trying to calm the writhing mech, but was having little luck. He was relieved when two large white hands joined his, gently keeping the terrified mech in place while Red Alert did his best to sooth him. The smaller mech ran his hands up and down Sunstreaker's audio finials, whispering calming nonsense to him. Slowly but surely the younger mech began to still, the faint light in his optics indicating his return to the waking world.

"Red? Sky?" His voice was hoarse and unsure; he didn't know if he was still dreaming or not. After a moment it became apparent that he was awake and he turned away from the other mechs, ashamed. Normally only Sideswipe saw this part of him. He was badly shaken, not only because of his display of weakness, but also because of the night terror. He couldn't remember much, just an all encompassing feeling of loneliness. But… he wasn't alone now. When Red took his chin in his hand and turned him to face the couple he allowed it. They weren't Sideswipe, but that was ok. They made him feel safe.

"Sunny? Are you with us?" Sunstreaker nodded, trying to still his shivers. He seemed to want to reach out to them, but didn't want to overstep any boundaries. Skyfire solved that problem by puling both Sunstreaker and Red into his lap before settling on the berth himself. The two smaller mechs ended up pressed together and Sunny unconsciously latched onto Red. Skyfire tightened his hold as Red moved to grip the twin as well.

"It's alright. We're here." Soft breath gusted over his finial as the other Lamborghini spoke, making him shiver for a completely different reason. T was no secret that he and his brother were rather promiscuous, though they were loyal to their partners when they had them. In the past, the twins had discussed which mechs they would like to 'face, and Red Alert and Skyfire had been high on the list. They would talk of the things they would do if they got the chance, whether together or separate, but like the mates had never really thought it was a possibility. They didn't want to lose the trust or respect of the two mech who, besides Ratchet, actually saw what was underneath. In normal circumstances, the golden mech would have enjoyed the position he was in and not pushed for anything more. However, as off balance as he was none of the reasons for not taking things further occurred to him. Red Alert and Sky were attractive, trusted, and at the moment, comforting. Without a second thought, he pushed his lips against Red's, keeping the kiss chaste.

Red Alert was startled when he felt Sunstreaker press against him. Common sense fled as he relaxed into the kiss, running his glossa against the sealed lips before gently nibbling the bottom one, asking to take it deeper. Sunstreaker responded by parting his lips, allowing Red to delve inside the moist cavern.

Skyfire watched as his bonded kissed the golden Lamborghini. He felt his systems react to the erotic sight, heating up as he watched flashes of glossa duel between their mouths. Sunny put up a fight, but eventually surrendered to his mate, allowing Red to explore uninterrupted. He moaned softly, knowing he should put an end to the kiss but not wanting to. Sunstreaker was writing in his lap, breathy little moans escaping his vocalizer as Red found his hot spots. He would wait a little while before stopping it, he decided. After all, what harm could a kiss do?

Sunstreaker was surprisingly sweet. That was the first thing he noticed. The twin put up a token fight, but was quick to submit to Red Alert after a breem had passed. Red took advantage of the acceptance, and dove into the kiss, glossa trailing over lips, cheeks and the roof of Sunny's mouth before playfully flickering over his glossa again. Sunstreaker moaned, and he could hear his mate do so as well; there also came a wave of lust from over the bond, as well as reluctance. Feeling this, Red Alert gently broke the kiss, biting Sunny's lower lip as he pulled way before releasing it.

"Sunny, wait. We can't do this. You're upset and confused. This is the last thing you need," Red Alert said regretfully.

"No, please I want this. I want you." Both elder mechs shivered at the husky tone. It was hard to resist.

"We can't. No matter how much you think you want this, we won't allow ourselves to take advantage of you."

"You're not Sky! I promise you're not. Sides and I…We've wanted this for a long time. Please."The red and while mechs exchanged a look that Sunstreaker could not read. His spark throbbed hard in response. He wanted them so badly. It had started as a need for comfort, but now he just _wanted_ them, wanted to do everything that he and his brother had fantasized about. Finally, they turned their attention back to him.

"Promise us one thing, Sunny." That was Skyfire.

"Promise us that you won't regret this come tomorrow." Red Alert.

"I promise, I promise. I swear I won' regret it."

"Good." Then they descended on him.

Sunny gasped, arching up into the touches. Or he tried to, but he was kept firmly pinned by Skyfire as Red Alert explored his body. He had started by trailing his hands lightly over his finials, pressing harder when they proved to be a hot spot. Red played with one as Skyfire leaned down to suck on the other. Sunstreaker writhed, wanting more of the touches. He wasn't sure which way to push, back into that lovely mouth wrecking havoc on his senses or up into those teasing fingers. One hand still on his younger lover's helm, Red let his other trail down the golden body beneath him, searching for more spot he could exploit. Sunny whimpered when he tweaked the cables in his elbow, enticing him to play with that for a moment before moving on. He felt gratified at the squeak Sunny made when he sucked on his hip. He let his glossa slip in between the seam hidden there, toying with the hidden wires. Skyfire's hand joined him on the other hip as the larger mech finally released Sunstreaker's arms. Red was aware of his mate'd free hand slipping between the golden thighs to rub against their young lover's codpiece.

"Open up.: The Lamborghini's didn't hear so much as feel the command rumble though their bodies. Both shivered, Red sucking harder on his mouthful of wires and Sunstreaker immidately retracting the panel. One large finger teased the rim of his valve, not penetrating dispite Sunstreaker's thrusting hips.

"Please! Oh please, put it in I want it I," the babbled words were cut off, and Red Alert looked up to see his mate engaged in a fierce lip lock with Sunstreaker. Skyfire dominated the kiss, pulling away only when he was ready to do so. The red and white mech could feel his charge growing. Skyfire was so _hot_ when he decided to take control. He moaned against Sunny's hip, moving down to suck on his thigh.

"Hush Sunstreaker. You will get what you want after we do." The promise in those words was almost enough to make the younger twin overload on the spot, but he held off. He could feel Red Alert between his legs, so close to where he wanted the attention but he wasn't oh! Delicious pleasure shot though him, blocking all else from his mind. He didn't notice when he was gently laid back on the berth or when Skyfire moved to join his mate. All of his attention was focused on the wonderful glossa in his valve, licking at his walls, pressing in deep, then pulling out teasingly before diving in again. He screamed when another mouth joined Red's, this one sucking on his cable.

Skyfire sat on the other side of Sunny's thigh while Red lay in between the spread appendages. They took turns sucking and licking at the helpless mech before him, taking his to the verge of overload before drawing him back. Over and over Skyfire engulfed that tasty cable, sucking hard before soothing Sunstreaker's arousal with gentle licks. And then Red would start again. Sunny really was delectable, and neither bondmate could get enough of his flavor. Sunstreaker didn't know how long the wonderful torture carried on for, all he knew was it lasted for eternity, which wasn't nearly long enough. He didn't know that he was begging for them to finish him, begging for overload. He only knew that he needed it. Finally, finally they let him. Red continued to work his valve, lapping at the escaped lubricant before plunging deeply into Sunny's willing body just as Skyfire began to suck on his cable in earnest. Screaming, Sunstreaker toppled over the edge.

Red Alert pulled back to watch him fall. Sunstreaker's face was exquisite in the throes of passion, blissful and open. He drank in the sight greedily, knowing that he could overload from the picture alone, never mind the passionate noises the bot made, and the taste of Sunstreaker still on his glossa. He glanced down to see Skyfire still working Sunny's cable, milking everything he could from the cord and extending the overload. Red could feel his sensory net flare, taking in all of the erotic stimulation, building his own arousal higher and higher as he watched Sunstreaker thrash, caught up in the grips of pleasure. The soft whimpers he began to utter as he came down from the high were enough to trigger his own overload, which cascaded over the bond dragging Skyfire with him.

Skyfire moaned as his mate's pleasure flooded his system. Sunny had tasted so good, reacted so beautifully to them. They had never had another lover who had made them overload without once touching them. Briefly he wondered if Sideswipe could do the same, which brought the image of the twins intertwined together. The picture sent a fresh surge of arousal through his system, stretching out his overload and feeding Red's as well.

Eventually the pleasure tapered off, leaving all three mechs tired, sticky and very sated. Red and Sky crawled up the berth, sandwiching Sunstreaker between them. Red gently closed the yellow mech's still open panel, fingers trailing though the mess on his thighs. Sunstreaker stirred at this, realizing that neither of the other mechs had opened their own panels, though he could see copious amounts of lubricant dripping from both. Startled, he reached to place a hand on both, but before he could touch he found both of his hands trapped against warm chassis'.

"Shh. Sunny. This was for you. Get some rest. We can discuss what to do in the morning." Nodding, it didn't take long for the frontliner to slip into recharge, safe and warm between his lovers. Skyfire smiled at his mate, sending a pulse of _love/exhaustion/contentment_ before he followed Sunstreaker's example. Red set his internal alarm, and checked once to make sure their quarters were secure before he too drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

So, for those of you who didn't see the notice on my LJ, I've had some major technological issues, with crashing jump drives and the like. I lost this story, twice. Then someone stole my computer. To top it off, I'm in the middle of moving, and transferring to a new college. So, I can't promise regular updates on any story right now. This is the last chapter for this one, and I want to thank everyone who kept with it, despite the horribly long wait.

Sunstreaker woke surrounded by warmth. He was pressed tightly between Red Alert and Skyfire, and was in no hurry to move. He replayed events from the previous night cycle, and small, content smile spread across his lips. The 'facing had been even better than he and Sides had imagines, and he really hoped they would get to do it again, this time with his brother. Speaking of said brother, Ratchet was going to pull him out of stasis this morning. Tentatively, he tried to extract himself from the bondmates without waking them. They didn't have to be up yet, but he desperately wanted a shower. He hadn't cleaned up after yesterday's fight, and now he was also covered in fluids. He felt gross, and wanted to fix that (and his paint).

It took some work, but he was able to crawl out of the berth without disturbing his lovers' recharge. He made his way to the couple's private wash racks, basking in the fact that they were private. He and Sideswipe normally had to use the communal cleaners. Red and Skyfire's quarters, however, were situated far enough from the rest of the living quarters (and public wash racks) that Prime had granted their request for a private washroom.

Stepping into the warm cleanser, Sunstreaker sighed in bliss. The warm fluid felt amazing against his plating, and he allowed himself a moment or two to relish the feeling. Then he set to work scrubbing away the buildup of grime on his armor.

"Want help?" Sunny had enough control to not jump as Red Alert wrapped his arms around the frontliner's waist. Leaning back into the Security Director, he allowed the other Lamborghini to take the scrub brush from him. Red Alert was efficient, quickly and thoroughly cleaning the younger mech before asking Sunstreaker to clean his back. Any other time he would have turned his touches teasing, but he could tell that Sunstreaker was anxious to see his brother. Once the smaller mechs were clean they helped Skyfire with his wings and back. Less than a breem later they were dry and on their way to the medbay.

Ratchet was waiting for them and, surprisingly, so was Sideswipe. He had come out of recharge on his own, half a breem before the trio had arrived. Ratchet was currently running the last of the scans on the red twin, while chewing him out for his recklessness. Sideswipe grinned when he spotted his twin. Ratchet turned and faced the new comers, motioning Sunstreaker into the room while he went to talk with Red Alert and Skyfire. Sunstreaker said nothing; he simply brushed by Ratchet and climbed up onto his brother's berth. The twins pressed close together, foreheads touching as they spoke over their bond. Ratchet, Red Alert, and Skyfire left the room to give the twins some privacy.

Once they had reached his office, the medic turned to the mechs behind him and said,

"Thank you for taking care of Sunstreaker last night. I don't know what he would have done if he had been left alone. I hate to ask, but… would it be possible for you to keep an eye on Sideswipe for the next few joors? His injuries are healing well, but I don't want him to do something reckless and aggravate them." Skyfire smiled warmly.

"No problem, Ratchet. The twins can spend as long as they need with us. We have enough room." they got a grateful smile.

"Thank you." Then the smile disappeared and Ratchet's usual gruff face fell into place.

Meanwhile, Sunstreaker had shared everything that his brother had missed. His terror as Ratchet tried to piece Sideswipe together. Falling into stasis lock. Spending the night with Skyfire and Red Alert…he showed Sideswipe everything.

Sideswipe grinned as Sunny showed him the previous night. He wasn't at all jealous, and was actually very grateful that Red Alert and Skyfire had been there for his brother. That they had, er, _comforted_ Sunstreaker had been a bonus.

"Soooo… was it good?" Sideswipe knew damn well that it had been fragging amazing; he just liked to make his brother blush. Sunny spent so much time pretending to be untouchable, and Sides loved that he was the one who could break the façade, the one who could see the real Sunstreaker. That there were two others who could as well made it even better. Sunny would have to loosen up more now. Sunstreaker scowled at the question, fighting the blush.

"You know it was."

"Do you think they'd be willing to go again?" Sunny's reply was hesitant.

"I think so. We didn't really talk about it." Sideswipe just grinned, sure that they could convince the mechs (though he doubted they would need much convincing, based on Sunny's memories). They had never failed to entice someone to their berth before. And given his twin's wanton memories of the night before, he had no doubt that they could seduce Red and 'Fire.

Ratchet chose that moment to breeze into the room, stern glare focused on the twins.

"Right, you two will be spending the next few cycles with Red Alert and Skyfire. You, Sideswipe, are off duty until further notice. Sunstreaker, you are on light duty. And if you so much as thing of doing anything that can even remotely be considered strenuous, Sideswipe, I will reformat you into a dune buggy. Clear?" Sides gulped. His adopted creator wasn't kidding. He had once turned Ironhide's cannons into water guns.

"Yes Ratchet."

"Good. Now get out." Sliding off the berth with his brother's help, Sideswipe sketched a light salute. Then they made their way to the front bay where there friends were waiting for them.

"Good to see you on your feet Sideswipe," the security director said, leading his charges out of the medbay. Skyfire smiled and murmured an agreement.

"Thanks guys!" the foursome made their way to the bondmates' quarters in a companionable silence. Most mechs were on shift by now, so they didn't run into anyone.

It didn't take long to reach their room, and the mates ushered their guests inside. Skyfire lead their injured friend to the berth, and helped him get settled on it. Sunstreaker climbed up as well and curled into his brother's side.

'Primus they are adorable!' Skyfire thought. It got a wave of agreement from his mate. Red Alert watched the brothers for a moment, before saying,

"I have to go. I'm on shift in two breems. If you need anything, comm. me."

"Thanks Red!" Sideswipe grinned cheekily. Smiling, Red Alert crossed the room and kissed his mate, brushing a hand against each twin as he passed.

"Have a good shift, love."

"I will. Without these two off duty it'll be a piece of cake."

"Hey!" two voices protested half-heartedly. Chuckling, the Lamborghini slipped out of the room.

Skyfire settled down into his chair, pulling a datapad from subspace. Keeping one optic on the twins, he began to read. Sunny and Sides, who was exhausted from the walk from the medbay to their temporary quarters, cuddled together and drifted into recharge. Sunny, although he hid it well, was not fully recovered from the shock of nearly losing his brother and entering stasis lock. He was better off than his twin, however. They were still deep in recharge when Red Alert got off shift.

It was late at night, and he was quiet entering his quarters, figuring his mate and guests would already be recharging. He was right. The twins hadn't moved from where he'd left them curled around each other this morning, and 'Fire was slumped over in the chair, datapad held loosely in limp fingers. Smiling softly, the security mech took the pad from his slumbering lover and put it aside, before moving to check on the twins. Both had slight smiles on their lips and were resting peacefully. Spark warming slightly at the sight, Red Alert moved back over to Skyfire and climbed into his lap. The shuttle woke up long enough to wrap his arms securely around Red Alert. Both mechs quickly settled into recharge.

The cycles passed mostly in the same manner. The twins weren't up to doing much (although Sunstreaker was assigned to monitor duty with Red quite often). The younger mechs loved watching Red and Sky interact with each other. Away from prying optics, they were actually rather affectionate. They often cuddled together, or would sit pressed close to each other. They would brush a hand over horns or a wing, and gently brush their lips together. The touches were innocent, and extended to the twins as well. Surprisingly, the frontliners found the touches comforting. They weren't used to such care coming from others, even temporary berth partners.

They had also started to share a berth. They did nothing more than recharge, but after that first night Sideswipe had pointed out that sleeping in a chair couldn't be comfortable. Although Red and 'Fire had claimed to be fine with it, Sides had threatened to sleep on the floor. They ended up compromising, and sharing the berth. It was a bit of a tight fit, but it was large to support Skyfire and then some, so they could all fit comfortably, even if they were all pressed against each other.

The twins found that they really enjoyed having mechs care about them for something other than their prowess on the battlefield (Ratchet was different; he was their [adopted] creator. He had to care about them). Red Alert and Skyfire were genuinely interested in them. Often the foursome spent joors talking. Conversations ranged from light hearted to serious. The twins were damn surprised to find out that it had been Red Alert, not Air Raid who had painted Optimus to look like Megatron while he was sleeping. Air Raid had taken the blame for it, just one day after sabotaging all of Red's cameras. The evil glint in their friend's optics still made the twins shiver when they thought about it. Their surprise at that, however, was nothing compared to the shock that they felt when Red Alert revealed that his glitch was actually only a minor problem, one that he had exaggerated in his youth to turn off a persistent stalker. The reputation had stuck, and Red actually liked using it to keep the 'bots in line.

They had also learned a great deal about Skyfire's life with Starscream, as both a professional and personal partner. It was easy to see that the shuttle still had a hard time talking about it, and Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were honored that he shared something so personal with them.

In return, the twins told them about their lives in the gladiator pits, and how they had changed once they had been rescued. Sunstreaker, it turned out, had a great love for art, and had spent hours in museums as his method of coping. Recently he had begun to teach himself how to paint, and was quite good at it. Not that he would admit it. In fact, he had glared at his brother for mentioning that. It took some convincing, but Sunstreaker agreed to show them some of his work. It was as good as Sideswipe had said. Sunstreaker had then told them about his brother's obsession with intellectual games. The red frontliner enjoyed games like chess (and he was good enough at it to beat Red Alert) and the human numbers game, Sudoku. He could play it for hours at a time.

Over the cycles they began to settle into a routine. All four of them enjoyed the light touches, the lighthearted and serious conversations, and coming home to find three others waiting. There had been no sexual overtures, but a domestic air dominated their interactions. So it came as somewhat of a shock when Ratchet called Sideswipe down to the medbay and declared him fully recovered and free to return to normal duties. Which meant that the twins no longer needed to stay with their friends. That was depressing. They liked being with Red Alert and Skyfire. In fact, they could even say that they loved it (loved them?). They had never felt anything like this before, and they weren't dealing with it well now.

It was somewhat of a shock to return to their quarters to find the twins lounging on the berth, listless and sullen. Exchanging concerned glances, Red and 'Fire approached their roommates.

"What's wrong?" Skyfire asked softly. Sideswipe lifted his head from Sunny's shoulder, and looked at his friends blankly.

"Ratchet cleared me. I'm perfectly healthy."

"That's great!" Red Alert said. When he got no response, he asked, "So what's the real problem?" Embarrassment crept into two sets of optics. It was clear that neither brother wanted to explain what was really wrong.

Deciding not to push the issue for the moment, the mates turned the conversation to events that had happened during their shifts, and things that needed to be done tomorrow. It came as a surprise to Sunny and Sides that they weren't asked to leave. Instead, the cycle progressed the same way that it had the entire time they had been there.

Confused, the twins stayed mostly silent, only answering questions when they were asked. It was strange; how very attached they were to Red Alert and Skyfire, and how said mechs seemed to be in no hurry to get rid of them. The frontliners weren't stupid, no matter how hard they worked to give off the image of idiotic pranksters and sullen bullies, And they knew perfectly well that they were falling for their friends. They would never admit it, likely not even to each other. But there was no way their feelings could possibly be returned. So why did the carformer and shuttle seem to like having them around? Most other mechs would have told them to get lost by now.

The older mechs noticed how quiet their twins were, and while Sunstreaker was almost always quiet when he wasn't around other mechs, Sideswipe was almost as chatty as Blue. Though they were concerned, they knew not to push. Sideswipe or Sunstreaker would tell them when they were ready.

Sunstreaker, who by now was sick of the confusion, asked almost shyly,

"When do you want us to leave?" Surprised, neither of the mates said anything for a moment.

"Leave? Er, I suppose you can leave whenever you wish," Red Alert said, puzzled.

"No, what Sunny is asking is when do you _want_ us to leave?" It took a moment for Sideswipe's words to sink in, but when they did, Skyfire had to chuckle.

"Is that what you're concerned about?" He got two miserable nods in return. "We don't want you to leave. Certainly, you can go at any time, but you don't have to. We like having you here. You will always be welcome."

A potent relief flooded the twins, so strong that it caught them off guard. Sure, they were cocky and confident and vain in all other areas of their lives, but this, this was something new. They had never really cared about anyone's opinion of them before, and it surprised them how much Red Alert and Skyfire's meant to them. Along with the relief came a host of other emotions as well. Contentment, joy, and lust. They hadn't had the chance to seduce the couple during their stay, and now that the worry and confusion was gone, those desires were making themselves known.

"I think we need to find an appropriate way to thank them Sunny." Sideswipe's grin was mischievous, and his optics were dark with lust. It had been difficult for the twins to hold back and not act on their desires. But now they had been given an open invitation to stay.

"I agree," Sunstreaker purred. "And I know how we can start. Red Alert likes to watch, so let's give him a show." Sunny's grin was as devious as his twin's. Smirking, Sideswipe grasped his younger brother's chin and pulled him into a hard kiss. Moaning, Sunstreaker kissed back fiercely, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck to pull him closer. Neither Lamborghini missed the sound of two sets of cooling fans kicking on.

Skyfire and Red Alert watched hungrily. Watching the twins kiss had long been a fantasy of theirs, and it was just as hot as they had imagined it to be. Flashes of glossa danced between the two as Sunstreaker groaned. Sideswipe responded with a light nibble to Sunny's glossa before soothing the bite with little licks. Sunstreaker melted.

Deciding that they had watched long enough, 'Fire and Red moved to join their lovers. Strong arms wrapped around Sunstreaker, tugging him away from his brother, off the berth, and trapping him against a warm chassis. Skyfire nipped lightly at his headfins before trailing kisses down to Sunny's throat. Singling out the primary cable, he latched on, licking and suckling it until his smaller lover was moaning and writhing against him.

While Skyfire was busy molesting the golden twin, Red Alert climbed onto the berth and straddled the enticing form sprawled across it. Sideswipe gave him a sultry smile, optics daring Red to go further. Taking the invitation, the Security Director swooped down and claimed Sideswipe's lips in a harsh kiss. Growling, Sideswipe kissed back just as hard, glossae dueling in a hot, wet tango.

"Don't they look delicious, Sunny?" Skyfire purred next to sensitive audio receptors.

"Yes!" Sunstreaker gasped as one of Skyfire's big hands trailed down his chassis, pausing to play with a headlight. He tried to reach back, to touch the flyer but Skyfire was having none of it. He kept the younger twin pinned facing his brother and lover as he whispered the _dirtiest_ fantasies to the artist. Sunstreaker's imagination painted the fantasies in vivid detail, ratcheting up his arousal even further. Who knew that Skyfire could be so kinky?

Red Alert purred at the images flashing over the bond. His Skyfire was so creative. A particularly scrumptious image involving the twins and chains made his shudder with delight. Sideswipe took advantage of his momentary lapse to snake his arms around Red Alert's back, hands seeking out sensitive seams. He quickly found the fire car's backlights. Red Alert keened, arching into Sideswipe's wicked hands. Grinning, Sideswipe attacked the backlights with single minded focus, not letting up even as Red Alert writhed against him.

Skyfire watched as his lover and Sideswipe played, softly fondling the twin in his grasp. Sunstreaker turned in his arms, wrapped his own arms around his neck and pulled the shuttle down for a kiss. Purring, Skyfire happily took advantage of the open lips, plundering Sunny's mouth ruthlessly. Sunstreaker gave as good as he got, seeking out all of Skyfire's hot spots. One hand drifted down to play with the larger mech's wing, causing Skyfire to tightening his grip around Sunny waist, nearly crushing the smaller 'bot.

Sideswipe grinned as he managed to flip Red Alert off of him, and pinned the smaller Lamborghini to the berth. The surprise in Red's optics faded quickly, and a sultry, challenging expression slid across his face. Sideswipe grinned, one hand still playing with the backlights, while the other trailed down to relieve Red Alert of his codpiece. Gasping as the cool air met his spike and valve, Red Alert bucked up into his devious lover's touch. Wrapping his hand around the hard spike, Sideswipe, slowly, maddeningly tormented his lover. Light, gentle strokes caused the other Lambo to buck up, seeking more of that delicious friction. He reached up, determined to make the frontliner moan as well, he slipped his small fingers into the seams of Sides' piledrivers, causing the other mech to jerk. Red purred happily as Sideswipe increased the pace, unconsciously matching the movements of the Security Director's fingers.

While his brother and lover had been busy on the berth, Sunstreaker had managed to wrap one leg around Skyfire's waist, codpieces pressed tightly together. He gasped into the flyer's mouth as a big hand cupped his aft and pulled him off his feet. The hand not holding him up worked its way between his legs to stroke and fondle his codpiece. The golden twin retracted it almost immediately, pressing his hips into Skyfire's devious touch. He threw his head back, screaming in pleasure as one thick finger pressed into his dripping valve. Sharp denta latched onto his neck, toying with vulnerable wires as Skyfire leisurely pumped the digit into his moaning lover.

Sideswipe watched hungrily as Sunstreaker bucked against Skyfire. Red too was focused on the lovely image before him. Pale lavender transfluid dripped from Sunny, staining Skyfire's armor. Large fingers disappeared into the smaller mech and it was clear from the Lambo's ecstatic moans that the flyer had found that delicious little bundle of nerves deep in Sunstreaker's valve. So focused on the erotic show, Red didn't notice as Sideswipe turned his hungry grin on him. He did, however, notice as two fingers suddenly pressed deep into his valve. The abrupt stretch stung, but then the older twin curled his fingers _just right_ and the pain disappeared immediately. Sparkles erupted behind his optics as Sideswipe ruthlessly pressed the tips of his fingers against the security mech's sweet spot.

Skyfire pressed a third digit into his lover, optics on the berth. Shifting Sunny in his arms he turned his young lover until he too could see the pair writhing on the berth. Sunstreaker moaned, drinking in the sight, unconsciously saving the image so that he could paint it later. It was too gorgeous an image to let it disappear, even if no one – save his lovers – would ever see it.

"You're as visual as Red, aren't you, Sunny? You love watching, don't you? I bet you could get off without being touched, just like Red. I wonder… if I strapped you down and made you watch the three of us 'face each other you would still get off, wouldn't you?" The artist shivered at Skyfire's dark words, already imagining the scenario. He would get off, no doubt but for now… he keened in loss as the fingers that had been buried deep inside him disappeared. "Shhh, Sunny. I'm not quite as visual as you are." Skyfire was moving before the words had a chance to sink in.

The image that Skyfire sent his bonded had the red mech groaning in want. Red, on his knees with Sideswipe taking him from behind while the shuttle took Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker and Red, kissing as their partners 'faced them. He burned with want, wanting Sideswipe's spike in him, wanting to kiss Sunstreaker, wanting to watch the younger twin be taken by his mate. He could tell that his bonded had commed their lovers with the same picture by the way that their vents hitched.

Sideswipe pulled him up; kissing him briefly before maneuvering the security director into the position Skyfire had sent him. Pressing his fingers back into that needy valve, he began to scissor them, preparing Red for something much more satisfying.

Skyfire, in the meantime, had reached the berth and pressed Sunstreaker down so that his chassis lay on the berth with his feet braced slightly apart on the floor. The golden Lambo pushed himself up onto his elbows, one arm hooking around Red's neck so that he could drag the other into a kiss. Red responded eagerly, delving between Sunny's lips to taste the sweetness that he had been craving since their last encounter. Glossae tangled in a sweet, hot dance, and both mechs moaned.

Sideswipe pulled his fingers from Red Alert's valve. His spike was hard and aching, and he desperately wanted to take the mech before him. Glancing at his giant lover, he could see that Skyfire too was done waiting. Matching Sky's movements, he lined his spike up with Red's delicious valve and thrust in steadily, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt. Red cried out, thrusting his hips back, trying to get Sideswipe to _move._

Skyfire moved slower, pressing his large spike into Sunstreaker inch by inch. The younger mech was so fragging tight, and he didn't want to hurt him. Skyfire was generously proportioned, and could do some serious damage if he moved too fast. Sunstreaker, however, didn't seem to agree, and tried to thrust backward, to impale himself on Sky's massive spike. The flyer took hold of Sunny's hips, keeping him still. Sunstreaker groaned in frustration. Red was quick to distract him, pulling back slightly from their kiss to nip and suck at the warrior's lips.

Sideswipe sighed in bliss as wet heat engulfed him. He waited a moment for the older mech to adjust to his size before beginning a steady pace. It was hard to control himself; his lover felt wonderful around him, as good as Sunny, and all he wanted to do was take the mech hard and fast until he screamed. Instead, he settled for pressing into that blissful warmth steadily, and bent to take one of the tempting backlights into his mouth.

Skyfire listened to his bonded's moans as Sides toyed with him. He could feel the echoes of Red's pleasure, the way Sides' spike stretched him open so wonderfully and how much he was enjoying kissing Sunstreaker. Purring deeply, the white mech began to drive his hips against Sunny, pushing his spike deeply into the willing, hungry valve. The smaller mech was so, so tight around him, and eagerly pushed against him, begging for more, faster, harder, even as he kept kissing Red. Skyfire obliged him, matching Sideswipe's now frantic tempo with Red.

None of them were going to last long; all of them had wanted this for far too long to take it slow. There would be time later for more thorough explorations. For now, bodied moved in a frenzied rhythm, bucking and twisting and writhing together as they sought their overloads. Sideswipe and Skyfire thrust hard and fast into their partners, who had finally broken their kiss. Sunstreaker had tossed his head back, moaning in ecstasy, baring his throat to Red Alert who took full advantage of the elongated neck, sucking and licking it feverishly. Bracing himself with one arm, Sunstreaker moved his other hand to fondle one slightly sparking horn on Red's helm, while his twin molested the other. Those simple touches were enough to send Red Alert head first into his overload. He bit down hard on Sunny's throat, tasting energon as he came. Sunstreaker cried out, his own overload blindsiding him and causing him to collapse limply onto the berth.

Sideswipe grit his denta as his lover's valve clenched rhythmically around his spike. He wasn't ready to go over just yet! He managed only a few more thrusts however before feedback from his brother threaded through the bond, and he was dragged headlong into oblivion, spilling coolant deep into Red Alert. He managed not to collapse on the security mech, and instead tumbled down beside him, slinging one arm over the exhausted mech as he cuddled into him.

Sunstreaker's overload caused him to tighten considerably around the thick spike in his valve, milking the Skyfire's coolant; the shuttle having fallen into bliss at the same time as his bondmate. He continued to thrust into the mech below him, riding out the waves of pleasure before tiredly withdrawing. He scooped up the lax twin climbed onto the berth, pulling the other two to him as well. They didn't bother to move much, content to lay snuggled together in a mech pile. Systems began to shut down, no one particularly caring about the cleaning up the mess. It could be left until the next cycle. They would also have to see about applying to have the twins transfer rooms next cycle as well. They could collect the rest of Sunny and Sides' stuff then too (most of it had already found its way to the older pair's room anyway). For now they would recharge.

The end!

A.N: Well, this was my first foursome, and I'm mostly satisfied with it. This is the end of this story, but there will be one more in this 'verse. Look for: In Sickness and in Health (and Other Surprises!) coming soon.


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